So let’s start by learning what your crew’s too nice to say to your face.

What Is Keto Breath?

Is keto breath the same as old high school math teacher bad breath?

Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is typically characterized by unpleasant smells coming from your mouth region. It’s a common symptom of ketosis, and usually the causes of bad breath include[*]:

Poor dental hygiene

Dental problems like gingivitis

Certain foods (like onions, coffee and garlic)

Tobacco products

Specific health conditions

Dry mouth

Oral infections

Medications

An overgrowth of bad gut bacteria

Though it’s not fun, you’ll want to visit your dentist and doctor to rule out a few of these issues if you’re experiencing less than fresh breath.

Unlike the general war of smells from leftover food particles and bacteria in your mouth that is halitosis, keto breath is very specific.

It’s been described as a pungent, acidic and fruity smell.

Though some say it’s more of a metallic taste in your mouth.

And others claim your breath (and urine) smell more like nail polish remover or even varnish.

One Redditor was even accused of day drinking since their keto breath smelled like strong vodka[*]!

All kidding aside, the silver lining to keto breath is that it means you’re actually in ketosis.

There are three main reasons why your breath may be a little funky on a ketogenic diet:

Acetone is produced as a ketone and extra ketones need to leave your body.

Ammoniagenerated via protein digestion also needs to bounce.

Dehydration causing dry mouth compounds halitosis and keto breath.

Let’s talk about how each of these is to blame for ketosis breath now.

Acetone Produced Via Ketosis Causes Keto Breath

To comprende this explanation for keto breath, you have to fully understand how keto works first.

When you switch from the Standard American Diet (SAD) of eating close to 300g of daily carbs to a ketogenic diet of less than 25g of daily net carbs, your body will stop using glucose for energy and start to use fat.

Being in ketosis is when your body kicks into fat burning mode, using fat for fuel instead of sugar.

In order for your body to use this type of fuel, your liver produces ketones, which is where the word “ketosis” comes from.

Flossing is a pain, but will get rid of small food particles between your teeth which will normally rot there and cause bad breath.

Tongue cleaningwith a tongue scraper is almost twice as effective at removing bacteria as regular brushing because your tongue is like flypaper for germs[*].

Oral rinses designed for dry mouth may contain antibacterial agents and help lubricate your mouth to prevent bad breath and dry mouth all in one.

Oil pulling with coconut oil, which is naturally antibacterial, will attract leftover food particles and bacteria hiding in your mouth. When you spit, you eliminate all this nastiness and deep clean your teeth, tongue and gums.

#2. Recalculate Your Macros

Did you know you should recalculate your macros every time you lose a decent chunk of weight or decrease/increase your regular physical activity levels?

It’s true; your body quickly adapts so you’ll need to be one step ahead if you want to lose weight.

As we’ve learned, having too much protein in your diet can lead to keto breath by way of excess ammonia.

But so can having too few carbs.

That’s why you’ll need to take a scientific approach and experiment to see which one is at the root of your keto breath.

So try this 3-step process to see if your keto breath improves while staying in ketosis:

Recalculate your macros using the PK Keto Macro Calculator to make sure you’re actually in optimal ranges for ketosis and weight loss for your body.

Input Your Protein Ratio

Guide to picking your protein ratio

To gain muscle, the protein ratio should be between 0.8 to 1.2 grams per lb of lean body mass (1.7 to 2.3 grams per kg LBM)

Input Your Total Carb Intake

Input the grams of carbs you want to consume on a daily basis

Net Carbs (g)

Your Daily Macronutrient Goals

--Protein (g)

--Carbs (g)

--Fat (g)

--Total Calories

Results Summary

Start at the low end of you protein intake and turn to healthy fats like avocados and macadamia nuts before adding more protein to your diet. This simple switch from a high protein diet to more fat should cut the amount of excess ammonia, which should lead to fresher breath.

Increase your carb intake slightly and slowly. If you’re currently at 20g of net carbs per day, try bumping up to 25g to see if you notice any changes. This should reduce the amount of excess ketones you have floating around so less of them are forced out via your bad breath.

If your keto breath goes away but you notice you’re not losing as much weight, you can either cut back the carbs or increase your physical activity to burn off more of what you eat.

Lemon water will not only freshen your breath, lemons have antibacterial properties to help kill off lingering odor-causing germs in your mouth too[*].

If you’re feeling fancy, go ahead and add stevia to your lemon water for a carb-less faux lemonade.

#4. Skip Your Standard Mints and Gums

You may have never thought to check the label on the gum you keep in your purse or look up the nutrition facts for the mints you stash at your desk, but you’ll need to when you’re in ketosis.

These are full of sugars and hidden carbs and will kick you out of keto faster than you can get back in.

#5. Be Careful with Sugar-Free Alternatives

You may be ditching your usual gum or mints, but that doesn’t mean sugar free alternatives are the better option.

These are usually packed with sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, which are not zero-carb and can both raise your blood sugar and spike your insulin levels[*].

Stay away from anything containing:

Sorbitol

Maltitol

Xylitol

Isomalt

Aspartame

Sucralose

Saccharin

Mannitol

Lactitol

Polydextrose

Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates

Ingesting these sugar alcohols and sugar alternatives has been associated with increased sugar cravings, migraines and extreme gastrointestinal discomfort, such as[*]:

Bloating

Cramping

Flatulence

Diarrhea

There’s a better way to freshen your breath naturally sans painful side effects…

#6. Try All Natural Breath Fresheners

Before the age of commercially-made mints and gums, the mint plant was the It breath freshener of medieval Europe. People chewed whole leaves to sweeten their breath and mixed the mashed leaves with vinegar to rinse their mouths[*].

These holistic foragers also invited other fragrant herbs and spices to the fresh breath party, including:

Parsley

Cinnamon

Clove

Marjoram

Cardamom

Rosemary

Sage

Fennel seeds

You can find all-natural extracts of these plants to spray in your mouth at health food stores, but you can also chew on them yourself or add these herbs to your fave keto recipes.

Feeling extra productive?

Why not create your own homemade mouthwash or breath spray?

Using high quality, food-grade essential oils containing any of those herbs, follow this natural breath freshener recipe:

Grab a spray bottle or mason jar and clean it well.

Add three drops of an essential oil of your choice (either one flavor or a combo of flavors) to your container.

Spray in your mouth or take a swig, swish it around and spit out to get rid of bad breath bacteria.

Follow all six of these tips and your keto breath will disappear faster than your tax refund. But you should also take comfort in knowing…

Keto Breath Doesn’t Last Forever

While some lucky ketoers never experience the humiliation that is keto breath on a first date, others struggle with it the very first week.

The good news is keto breath eventually rides off into the sunset and out of your life.

By combining a few of these techniques and sticking to your ketogenic diet for a few months, your body will naturally adapt to your low-carb way of eating.

Your body will stop producing so many extra ketones and find a healthy balance around the end of your first fully fat-adapted month. With fewer excess ketones squirming their way out, you’ll have better breath.